Loosing teeth!(or not as the case maybe!)

[rachael]

Is it a good idea for a youngster to start playing a brass instrument before loosing any milk teeth?
I have a 6.5yr old and a 4yr old who are both keen and at the moment just like to blow and make a noise! Is it worth starting anything "serious" with the oldest one yet as his teeth are no-where near ready to fall out! :roll:

 

[Nuke]

There are many different schools of thought on this subject. My mum is a brass teacher of younger children and at the moment the youngest is four and a half, he was just blowing noise at first but within a few weeks there was a semblance of a simple scale going. I suppose it depends if you think they are able to handle the instrument properlly at a young age.
As for playing without teeth i myself played without my two front teeth when they fell out and never had much trouble (some would say i was better without them). At six id say you can start doing scales and things and team brass and stuff like that, at Kirklees music (local music school) thats about the age they will accept them.

 

[Ste69]

At age 11 I had an accident and lost my 2 front adult teeth. It took 7 years of braces and gaps and crowns to move the remaining ones round and then I had to the 4 at the front capped so they looked like the correct size of tooth.

Through all this I managed to keep playing (perhaps because it was on bass the pressure was not so great) but my playing never really suffered.

Go for it!

 

[Valvecap]

CG aint online at the moment but will ask her for you - she may be able to shed light on this situation.

 

[louise0502]

I think it depends on the kid.

My niece is four and a half and she wouldn't be able to handle it. She can get a note, but there's a certain amount of maturity required to control the notes.

 

[katej]

I was always told not to teach without adult teeth as it can affect the embouchure when they come through if you start playing with milkteeth. My son is 6 and hasn't lost his top 2 yet so althoough he can get a note I won't let him do anything else other than have a blow occasionally.
Kate

 

[Curiosity_Kills]

I would have been a trumpeter, if i had not lost my milk teeth

I'm so glad i did ...